“The Time Machine” by HG Wells is a novel published in 1895, it has spawned numerous film adaptations including the 1960 version directed by George Pal. While they are essentially the same story, the film adaptation took multiple liberties with some plot points and characters as well. Some might think for the better and others might argue that it strayed too far from the book and had a more negative impact. For example, the characters and their characteristics were extensively changed in the film. The main character, George aka the Time Traveler, played by Rod Taylor, was never actually named in the novel. Other small character names have been changed but the biggest character change, in my opinion, is that of the Eloi. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay. In the novel, they are described as small, almost child-like creatures with very little understanding of language and very few words or sentences. In the film adaptation, some of these characteristics are present but significantly downplayed. For example, the Eloi still appear very young, but they look more like fully grown young adults than children. Language-wise, they are still kind of a few words, but the language barrier described in the book seems to be less prevalent as they are able to understand and communicate more successfully with The Time Traveler. I believe they did this for an important reason; for the public. In the novel, Wells has much more freedom in what he is able to create and portray and what his audience would accept and understand. It seems that the reasoning for humanizing the Eloi was to appeal to modern audiences knowing that in order to sell tickets he would have to do something that the audience could identify with and understand. For similar reasons the relationship was centered around the two main characters, George and Weena were also changed. In the novel, the two meet when George saves Weena from drowning while the rest of the Eloi stand by and watch. This remains true in the film, but as their relationship develops over the course of the novel you can see that it resembles that between a child and a parent or a mentor and their protégé. However, watching the film, it's clear that a romantic aspect has been added to their relationship, completely changing the dynamic. Once again this was an attempt to please the audience knowing that they would much rather see a love story than try to understand the complexity of the relationship established in the novel. As I said before, the Eloi were these childlike creatures that George finds in the future. . The Eloi are just one of the species that inhabited the earth at that time, the others being the Morlocks. The Morlocks are essentially the opposite of the Eloi, they are described as monstrous creatures who remain isolated underground while remaining the more intelligent of the two groups capable of using machinery and the like. In the novel, The Time Traveler speculates that the reason for this division has something to do with social classes. The Eloi remain above ground, free from work and worry, while the Morlocks remain secluded underground, working to support the Eloi. However, in the 1960 film adaptation, it is revealed that the reason for their division was a war that poisoned the land. The surviving group headed underground to fight and survive, some remaining there and others returning to the surface, creating the Eloi and the Morlocks. Given that this film was created after World War II, it is very likely that.
tags